Alert Police Blotter: A Mountain (Bike) Of Evidence.

Monday, 11 Feb 2013, 9:04:00 AM

Tim Broughton

A 54-year-old man on probation was arrested Thursday, Jan. 31 after Santa Monica police discovered he had stolen an expensive mountain bike.

At 7:30pm officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were on a routine patrol in the area of 24th Street and California Avenue when they saw a man whom they recognized as a person who had experienced previous “interactions” with the police.

The officers also remembered that this man was on probation.

The officers approached the man and asked him if they could chat for a while. The man agreed and during the conversation the man gave the officers information that was at odds with the truth concerning his address.

The officers undertook a probation compliance check and then accompanied this man to his residence where they conducted a search.

As a result of this search the officers found drug paraphernalia, as well as a very expensive mountain bicycle that the officers had reason to believe was stolen.

This resident of Santa Monica was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail was not granted.

Editor's Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled "Alert Police Blotter" (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of the Mirror's coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website,smmirror.com.